Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a type of additive manufacturing, such as three-dimensional (3D) printing. The use of FDM has increased over time for the creation of polymeric objects with a higher level of precision than standard manufacturing processes.
Conventional FDM apparatuses require a significant amount of time to form an object. One limitation in current FDM apparatus designs is the number of nozzles present in extrusion heads. As such, the extrusion head of an FDM apparatus has to be moved frequently so that its nozzle can deposit material in a desired area to create the polymeric objects. The movement of the extrusion head results in a significant time period in which no material is deposited.
In addition to the printing time required by conventional FDM apparatuses, the movement of the extrusion head requires numerous mechanical parts that are subject to failure. Such failures may result in further delays. Moreover, additional calculations are necessary to ensure the extrusion head travels to precise locations at suitable times, which requires additional processor cycles. Thus, the possibility of error due to incorrect calculations and incorrect extrusion head movement is high in conventional FDM apparatuses.